Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 13: Tears...Cries...and a Lullaby
Hinata was standing outside the school waiting for her friends to arrive.
After 3 minutes of waiting, the person that was usually last to come, came first.
Gaara.
He wasn't with Kankuro either, he was alone.
"Good morning Gaara-kun." Hinata said with her usual warm smile.
"Hn." Gaara said coldly. He walked passed her as if she wasn't even there.
Hinata stared wide-eyed at where Gaara had stood. He had never talked to her like that. Never so...coldly.
A few minutes later Sakura, Ino, Naruto and Kankuro showed up.
"Hello Hinata-chan." Sakura said happily.
"Hello Sakura...Naruto...Ino...Kankuro..." Hinata said in a quiet yet sad voice.
"What's with you?" Ino asked.
"Gaara he..."
"Talked coldly to you?" Kankuro asked. Hinata nodded.
"That jerk! Why would he do that?" Naruto asked with anger.
"Because of you Naruto!" Sakura shouted at him.
"What did I do?" Naruto asked.
"You mentioned our mom." Kankuro said. "You know it upsets him! And look what happened! He is acting cold again...Even to Hinata!" Sakura said hitting Naruto in the head very hard. "Oww Sakura-chan..." Naruto wined.
"Deserves you right! Honestly Naruto you need to learn how to keep your mouth shut when it comes to Gaara!" Ino yelled at him.
The bell rang over the yelling group.
"Common let's go. We don't want to be late, let's just let them fight until they realize the bell rang." Kankuro whispered to Hinata as they watched Sakura, Ino and Naruto argue. "OK." Hinata said as she and Kankuro went inside.
Inside the math room, Hinata didn't do any work. She just fettled with her pencil deep in thought.
"I know Naruto-san said stuff about Gaara-kun's mother, but did he have to be that cold to me? I didn't even say anything!...Maybe that's it though...Maybe because I didn't say anything that Gaara-kun got upset...NO! NO! NO! Hinata don't think like that! Gaara-kin probably doesn't even realize he talked like that to you! Common girl pull yourself together! You don't wanna fall apart do you? NO YOU DO NOT! Now common!" Hinata yelled at herself inside her head before realizing there was a knock on the class room door.
"Naruto go get the door." Asuma said seeing as Naruto was closest to the door.
It was Tsunade Hokage.
"Hokage-sama? What's wrong?" Asuma asked.
"I need Uchiha Sasuke and Sabaku no Gaara to come down to the office. Now." Tsunade said.
Half of the class looked at Gaara and the other half at Sasuke. They both stood up and fallowed Tsunade out of the class room.
"Oh no...What could have happened? It has to be serious for Tsunade to come get Gaara-kun and Sasuke herself..." Hinata wondered. Unfortunately...Hinata didn't know how right she was...Something had happened...
Gaara was secretly worried about what was happening...But he didn't show it. He looked over at the Uchiha. He too looked like he was trying to hid his worry and fear, and he was failing.
"You worried or something Uchiha?" Gaara asked coldly. "Just as worried as you are. But for different reasons." Sasuke said emotionlessly.
They arrived outside the office and saw that Kankuro was there, and he looked even more worried then how Gaara felt.
"Before we go-" Tsunade began but Sasuke interrupted. "We're going somewhere?" He asked. "Yes." Tsunade said. "Before we go, go get your bags, I don't think you'll want to come back to school after, so you can just go home." Tsunade explained.
"Why bring us down then send us back?" Gaara whispered to himself as he went to his locker.
He, Kankuro and Sasuke all came back several minutes later. They then left the school fallowing Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama where are we going?" Kankuro asked after walking for 3 minutes. "To the hospital." Tsunade said, she didn't say anything else.
When they reached the hospital they went into a black room and stopped.
"Now, we have to go a bit farther. But." Tsunade turned around to face the 3.
"But what?" Gaara asked.
"When we go in, you cannot- and I mean cannot scream at what you see understood?" Tsunade said. "Why would we scream?" Sasuke asked. "Just don't scream OK?" Tsunade said, ignoring Sasuke.
"Understood." They all said.
They walked to the door on the other side of the room and inside was 2 beds. 2 people inside those beds. One was a girl...One that looked strangely familiar to Gaara and Kankuro, and the other as a boy he also seemed somewhat familiar. Both of them where covered in blood.
They went to get a better look, that's when they realized who the girl was.
"T-Temari..." Kankuro said, he was scared now...
"Neechan..." Gaara said quietly.
Sasuke was standing over the boy's bed, staring wide eyed...He boy was his brother...Uchiha Itachi.
Gaara looked at Temari's body. He then saw a hole in her stomach, that made him want to be sick, but then a sharp pain came into Gaara's head.
Gaara grabbed his head and fell to his knees. "This pain...Why does it hurt so badly?...Where have I seen that cut before?" Gaara almost screamed due to pain.
Flashback
Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and their father, the Kazekage of Suna stood in the middle of the desert staring at the new arrival.
"What are you doing here Orochimaru?" the Kazekage asked coldly.
"You know exactly what Kazekage. I want that boy." the man named Orochimaru said.
"Well you cannot have my son." Kazekage replied.
"I gave you power Kazekage, you owe me that boy!" Orochimaru shouted as he ran at Gaara.
Gaara being only six just stood there wide-eyed. But just as the man was going to get him, Kankuro and Temari stood in front of him like a shield. Gaara's father also stood in front of Gaara, and his siblings.
"You want to protect this boy? Then you can DIE!" Orochimaru shouted as he pulled out his sword, Gaara's father pulled out the sword he carried as well.
The battle of swords continued for several minutes.
"Temari, Kankuro get Gaara out of here now!" their father shouted.
"BUT FATHER!" Temari shouted.
"GO NOW! BEFORE-" to late.
SLASH
Orochimaru cut the Kazekage right in the stomach.
Temari was now panicking, she quickly grabbed Gaara and tried to shield his eyes from seeing what had just happened to their father.
Kankuro quickly grabbed Gaara as well and they started running.
Somehow they got away, but Gaara still saw him.
His father was covered in blood, with a cut in his stomach. "This is all my fault..." Gaara thought then he screamed. "FATHER!"
End Flashback
"Gaara!" Kankuro shouted as he also got on his knees and tried to comfort his little brother who was shaking and still holding his head.
"Gaara it's ok, it's ok." Kankuro kept saying over and over again, but Gaara wasn't listening.
"Poor kid..." Tsunade thought. "To lose your sister, the person you see as a mother...Poor kid..."
"Your pathetic." Sasuke said looking at the red head on the floor.
That snapped Gaara out of his trance. "What did you say?" Gaara said with murderous intent.
"I said your pathetic. Who breaks down like that after seeing someone dead?" Sasuke said with a smirk
"What would you know about it!" Gaara shouted as he grabbed Sasuke's neck.
"Gaara! Stop it!" Tsunade shouted.
"What's wrong Sand-Boy? Upset because almost all of your family is dead?" Sasuke said.
Gaara dropped Sasuke and stared at him. "What's wrong? Got nothing to say now?"
An image of Gaara's father popped into his head.
Then an image of Temari.
Gaara had enough, he turned and ran. Ran as fast as he could away from the hospital.
"Gaara!" Kankuro and Tsunade shouted after him, but he didn't hear, he just ran.
It was about 4:46 when Hinata left her house.
"I wonder if Gaara is alright..." Hinata said to herself.
She headed toward the Sabaku house. She knocked and Kankuro answered.
"Hi Kankuro, is Gaara here?"
"No." He said, he sounded sad.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Hinata asked. Kankuro nodded.
"You know, how Temari had been gone?" Kankuro asked. Hinata was starting to get scared but nodded anyway.
"She was killed...Along with Itachi Uchiha." Kankuro explained, with pain in his voice.
"Oh Kankuro I'm sorry." Hinata said with sadness in her voice.
"Where do you think Gaara went?" Hinata asked, she wanted to make sure he was okay.
"To the park probably, but Hinata, you might want to leave him alone for a bit, if he asks you to leave, just leave OK?" Kankuro said.
"OK, thank you Kankuro-san." she said and left.
Kankuro closed the door as Hinata left. "Maybe she'll make Gaara OK..." Kankuro said to the empty house.
Gaara sat at the park and stared at the ground with tears falling down his face.
"Why? Was it always the people I love? Why is it them that die? Did Temari die because of me? Because of that man...The one that killed my father to try and get me? Why does it always have to be me! Why can't it be someone else for a change! Why is it all the time ME! Who's going to be next to die? Kankuro? No, I don't want my brother to die...Or will it be my friends? Naruto...Kiba...Shikamaru...Sakura...Ino...Tenten...Lee...Neji...Or even...Hinata." Gaara thought.
His thoughts now came to Hinata. "No...I won't let her be killed...I won't sit back and watch this time. I won't let the only other girl besides Temari that loves me die. No. Not this time. I will protect her from that man...And everyone else that threatens her. That is my promise to her. I won't let her be killed."
Hinata came to the park several minutes after talking to Kankuro. She was now looking for the red head, Sabaku no Gaara.
"Oh Gaara where are you?" Hinata wondered.
Then she saw him. He was sitting on a bench in front of her, his head facing the ground.
"Gaara-kun." She said in a soft voice behind him.
Gaara's head lifted up and turned to see Hinata standing right behind him. "she looked sad...Had she talked to Kankuro maybe?" Gaara wondered.
"Are you OK?" she asked quietly.
"No..." Gaara said and turned away from her, and put his head in his hands; he didn't want her to see him cry.
She sat beside him and look at him. "It's alright to cry." Hinata said.
Gaara looked at her, tears still falling. "How is it alright?" Gaara snapped.
"Because. It just is. You lost someone important to you, you have every right to be sad, and to cry." Hinata said.
"How do you know?" Gaara asked. He wasn't trying to be mean, he was upset was all.
"Because." Hinata paused. "My mother died as well...And I cried, I just cried. And also...Neji's father was killed...And I know you probably won't believe me...But Neji cried when he saw his father dead." Hinata explained.
"Neji cried?" Gaara asked in disbelief.
"Yeah he did. Everyone cries when they lose someone important to them." Hinata said.
"But I can't cry! I'm not allowed to cry!" Gaara shouted, as if he was a little kid.
"Why?" Hinata asked quietly.
"Because! It shows weakness!" Gaara shouted, tears started rolling down his face again.
"No it doesn't show weakness, it shows that you loved that person, even if you never admit it." Hinata said calmly.
"Gaara-kun, do you want to know a song my mother sang Neji when he cried? It was a lullaby" She asked softly. Gaara nodded.
Hinata began to sing:
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, But now am found
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed"
Gaara watched Hinata as she sang, he could have sworn that he heard Temari singing as well. He also thought he saw angel wings on the back of Hinata, as if she was a guardian angel for him. But he knew he was being stupid and that he was probably just seeing things.
"Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace halth brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
How sweet the name Jesus sounds
In a believers ear
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away his fear
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for ev'ryone
And there's a cross for thee"
Hinata turned to Gaara who was staring at her, no more tears where coming from his eyes.
"That was..." Gaara said quietly.
"What's wrong Gaara-kun?" Hinata asked.
"That was the same song Temari sang me..." He had sadness in his voice, but he tried to hide it.
"Oh, Gaara I'm sorry." Hinata said, now she was upset, she didn't know Temari had sang that song to him.
"No, it's ok, thank you...Hinata-chan." Gaara said with a smile.
"Can you...sing it again...for me?" Gaara asked. Now he really sounded like a little kid.
She smiled and sang the song again.
"For once Neji was right." Gaara said.
"About what?" Hinata asked.
"That you had a good voice." he said with a sly smile, making Hinata blush.
"By the way, they moved the fighting tournament to tomorrow."
"Why?" Gaara asked. Then he clued in before Hinata responded "Never mind." he said.
"Do we know who we're fighting?" Gaara asked.
"Yes..." Hinata said quietly. "It's guy VS girl."
"Shit." Gaara thought. "Who am I fighting?"
"Someone named Kin. She's in Kankuro's grade" Hinata explained.
"What about you?" Gaara asked.
"Sasuke." She said quietly.
"Do me a favor." Gaara said
"What's that?" Hinata asked nervously.
"Beat him to a pulp." Gaara said.
"I'll do my best." Hinata said with a weak smile.
"Thank you Hinata-chan, for making me feel better." Gaara kissed her cheek and got up and left.
"Bye Gaara-kun." Hinata said as she watched him swagger home.
End of Chapter 13: Tears...Cries...and a Lullaby
A/N: Ok I know Gaara was acting out of character, but hey, he lost his sister, and "Amazing Grace" was the only song I could find, but if you guys get an idea for a different lullaby that would fit better, let me know.
Anyways next chapter is the fighting tournament, I'll update soon, but it mite take a while because I have to get everyone's fights in, and also there's school so it mite take me longer to update.
Well please don't forget to review!